Book review

How would you like to go off on an expedition to a remote tropical island, in search of a species of early human previously unknown to science? You can go by private aeroplane, accompanied by the very best explorers available. That would be the Professors Gadling, Gauntraker and Ampersand. Excited?

Yes of course you are. And so are Sam, Zara, Ben, Marcia, and Adam. They're invited along too. They think they're off to help with a spot of archaeology, but there's more to this adventure than anyone expects.

What they have is a skull. It's a skull like no other:

'Fascinating!' said Professor Gadling, breaking the silence at last. 'Absolutely fascinating.' He carefully picked up the skull with both hands and studied it closely from all angles. 'Clearly the skull of some sort of human, yet not that of our own species, Homo sapiens.

But the island where the skull was found hides an astonishing secret. And our group of intrepid explorers don't know it yet, but they also have an unscrupulous enemy who will stop at nothing to discover the secret first.

These children are going to have to be pretty resourceful...their enemy is planning to use knock-out drugs, missiles, guns, knives, and brute force against them. On their side they have quick wits, honesty, luck and a very secret ally.

Read on. I think you'll enjoy the adventure, and it may give you some things to think about.

Just how big a secret do you think you could keep?

What can I read next?

John Fardell has written other books for young readers:

The 7 Profesors of the Far North

The Flight of the Silver Turtle

The Secret of the Black Moon Moth

If you would like to consider other big ideas wrapped up in adventure stories you might like to look at these books written by Jeanne DuPrau: